The excerpt represents the core issue or deciding factor on which you must meditate, and is drawn from The Black Tulip by Alexandre Dumas: "At any rate, he leaves us as little as he can help."
Saying this, she smiled in such a way that the little cloud
of jealousy which had darkened the brow of Cornelius
speedily vanished.
"How was it?" asked the prisoner.
"Well, being asked by his friend, my father told at supper
the whole story of the tulip, or rather of the bulb, and of
his own fine exploit of crushing it."
Cornelius heaved a sigh, which might have been called a
groan.
"Had you only seen Master Jacob at that moment!" continued
 The Black Tulip |